Chapter 96 – The Lord of Despair and Hatred (6)
“A challenge it is.”
At that moment, somewhere, a Magical Girl boldly ventured into society. He too stood amidst that society. Without a home, wandering the streets was his job and a way to spend time.
The colossal society continued to roll along, indifferent to whatever happened last night. He was thoroughly enjoying this.
“What do you all think you can do? All of you, this whole country, do you really think you can defeat me?”
His mind was still vivid with what he saw and heard last night. A Magical Girl who has been spreading quite a significant influence in the society he liked so much. He was certain her arrogant declaration was aimed squarely at him.
“There’s no reason not to.”
He smirked beneath his hood. There was no thought of wagging his tail at someone who was stoking his competitive spirit.
Of course, he didn’t plan on charging in head-on, mad or not. After all, he hadn’t yet regained his full strength.
Instead, he was perfectly capable of employing other methods.
His approach was to slowly incursion from the ground up in the first place.
No matter how powerful the opponent, they couldn’t exist alone. If he deprived and turned everything around them upside down, there would be many ways to deal with them.
“Is Takilas really something even The Sun struggles to handle?”
“It seems we cannot stop it for now. But there’s no reason to worry. The Magical Girl will surely act to save this world, so attacking this world will be the way to capture her.”
“Then let’s go as planned. She invited a challenge, so I’m willing to graciously accept it.”
“Yes, I understand. Great Sun, Smalillian.”
The man, who was called upon as his loyal aide and fervent fanatic, nodded repeatedly at his words.
“Lord, what does he say?”
“The Sun says there will be no changes to the plans. No matter what Takilas says, we continue our work.”
The man who met the Monster, Smalillian, got into the car awaiting him. The vehicle smoothly started and began heading toward its destination.
“The Magical Girls and the Special Task Force will eventually fall. The hypocrites and the incompetent have no qualifications.”
He muttered while gazing blankly at the city outside.
His name was Heo Jun-soo. Once a middle-aged pastor with a devout faith and the owner of a medium-sized church located in the outskirts.
But his life had changed completely not long ago.
In an endless pit of despair, he met someone during the days filled with hatred when the very congregation he cried out for did not help him.
Smalillian, the Monster of Nebaros, a dark Sun that feeds on despair and hatred.
Smalillian realized his long-held wish that neither the believers nor this nation, nor even the Magical Girls could achieve.
“Lord. The ‘Martyrs’ are all prepared. If there’s no change in plans, shall we send them all out?”
“Let me see their faces at least once. They are a proud bunch.”
An employee approached him as he got out of the vehicle. Now, the appearance was merely of a church, but most of the members were comrades who shared his belief, and they no longer sought a deity.
The deity they believed in was already with them.
“This way, please.”
He followed the guide down to the church basement.
In the room there, several individuals of various ages stood with solemn expressions, holding black daggers.
“Proud Martyrs.”
Heo Jun-soo’s voice trembled severely as he opened his mouth.
“There’s no need for anyone to be scared.”
Looking at them, Heo Jun-soo smiled faintly. His trembling voice wasn’t out of fear or tension; it was simply filled with joy.
He couldn’t fathom the consequences of what would occur.
“This is neither an act of terror nor a wrongdoing. It’s a cry and a revolution for those powerless like us to raise their voices in this world.”
He encouraged them, making sure they wouldn’t hesitate, asserting the righteousness of their actions.
“Abandoned by society and the Magical Girls, we are no longer weak. We haven’t been thrown aside. Now! We have strength!”
“Strength…!”
“The Lord is right!”
Emboldened by Heo Jun-soo’s words, they reignited their will.
They originally chose to stand in this place of their own accord. To use their despair and hatred as energy to inflict wounds upon the world.
“Then go. Show that strength and let the hypocrites and the incompetent know the reality.”
He sent the Martyrs he had gathered to their respective positions. The strength they gained was a far stronger one than before.
But it would burn using their hatred as fuel to carry out their mission.
“Director Kang.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“Look into the next Martyrs as well.”
Heo Jun-soo didn’t stop there. He immediately sought to create the next batch.
Those who were despairing, those who hated someone were plentiful in this society.
He truly believed that helping those individuals find relief was not the wrong thing to do.
*
“Hm, looks like I really got hit hard. Well, it’s time to get a grip on reality. My life is at stake.”
“You seem oddly cheerful. You’re on Team Takilas, aren’t you?”
During the ordinary lunchtime, Park Tae-jun spoke to me in a serious voice while watching the news on my phone, especially about politics that dared not mention me even while causing an uproar.
“That’s an interesting perspective. What’s the reason?”
I scoffed and asked back. This guy only knew I was a Magical Girl but treated Takilas in an oddly favorable manner. Maybe he was thankful for being saved.
“Because it’s both what you usually say and your enjoyment of the hurricane stirred up by Takilas. It’s almost like you were wishing for it.”
“…You’re sharp.”
However, the reasoning Park Tae-jun provided wasn’t just based on feelings or instincts. It was clear that since that day, he had deepened his thoughts.
“I don’t think badly of it either. I’ve heard that many issues were resolved thanks to Takilas taking such drastic actions.”
“There are plenty though, who think otherwise. Takilas is chaos itself, too dangerous and insolent. And they aren’t wrong, from their perspective.”
“…But there will be those who see Takilas’ actions as salvation. There are people—meaning not just the Magical Girls, but those whom society has also turned a blind eye to—who will find hope in Takilas breaking apart the game completely.”
“Who are those people?”
I nodded at Park Tae-jun’s unexpectedly serious words, thinking I had merely managed my irritation.
“People with nothing to lose. Those who hate the world. People who would rather have everything destroyed. Takilas seems to viciously hate the weak, but ironically, they would likely still favor him.”
“You’re quite knowledgeable. Perhaps too much.”
I dropped the humor. Park Tae-jun instead laughed and waved his hands.
“I once fell into that kind of thinking briefly. After that day, when I first cleared my head. But not now. I know I still have much to lose.”
His face turned red as he looked down.
It didn’t seem like a lie. However, what he said was not wrong either.
This massive society has an endless number of problems as fate would have it, and Magical Girls are neither capable nor numerous enough to resolve all those issues.
Even at this very moment, there are undoubtedly many who feel alienated.
And soon, they could easily become someone else’s prey.
“Cough, over there is Lee Jin-ah.”
“What’s up? Uh… Park Ha-young.”
Having momentarily lost in thought, I responded somewhat coldly.
A girl from my class who had come to talk to me first, realizing I hadn’t remembered her name even half a semester in, now looked shocked.
“Kim Soo-jung really wants to go with you… no, she’s been eyeing you, so I’m letting you know.”
“To hang out? I don’t have any issues, though.”
Park Ha-young, one of Kim Soo-jung’s close friends, delivered the news that they wanted to go out.
And that included the likes of Park Tae-jun, whom I had absolutely no connection with.
“We can go together, but you all can play among yourselves.”
“Aha.”
With the suggestion, there was a clever arrangement to care about a close friend while keeping distance from those I wasn’t keen on.
“Are you alright? In these times? We almost ran into trouble just going out.”
“The teachers told us to reduce outside activities, but… we can’t just keep circling between home, school, and cram school.”
Park Ha-young shook her head while biting her lip.
Even though the frequency of Monster appearances was increasing, and warnings had surged, people continued their activities.
Work had to be done to make a living, and above all, they wouldn’t want to confine their lives to that prospect.
“Whatever’s fine. You are.”
“I’m fine as always.”
Eventually, Park Tae-jun and I decided to join them.
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